Well, this is impressive. Ever wonder how strong those bags are inside the box that holds the wine? Well, turns out that they’re pretty damned strong. This bag-in-the-box of Folonari Pinot Grigio delle Venezie “Fresh Cask” 2009 happened to be sitting on a shelf in a room where we’ve been keeping a foster dog named Buddy. This handsome beast was not so handsome when we rescued him from a mobile home park north of town, along with a smaller female companion dog. They had been abandoned and were living in some woods on their own when, after some months, a couple tried to befriend them and feed them.

The dogs, named Buddy and Ladybug, would come up to the couples’ home every few days to be fed but were otherwise fairly wary. When we met them, they looked terrible. We agreed to take on the responsibility of having our vet examine them, spay and/or neuter them and give them all their shots. Not surprisingly, they had heartworm and are now undergoing that treatment. Buddy has a worse case, and that’s why he has been confined to quarters, with no running around, for about six weeks. I take him for slow walks on a leash six times a day.

Anyway, Buddy, who now weighs about 70 pounds, has been astonishingly good about living in one room, though he occasionally gets bored and chews up a magazine or, regretfully, a book (um, which happened a few minutes ago). Still, how would you like to be incarcerated like that? He’s actually a sweetheart, a big sort of Scooby Doo galumphing sort of dog. And, yes, in a moment of boredom or perhaps from the thrill of curiosity, he dragged this box of Folonari Pinot Grigio “Fresh Cask” ’09 from the shelf and masticated it thoroughly, tearing it apart and trying to extract the bag of wine. What he did not manage to do was pierce the inner skin, that is, the bag itself, though it bears teeth marks galore. Even the mangled spout still worked. Could you have survived such a going over? Thus technology triumphs over canine carnage.

The wine itself, well, it’s decent and serviceable, clean, fresh and bright, just spicy and floral and lemony enough to qualify as tasty and a little endearing. Serve as an aperitif and don’t think too much about it. It’ll keep in the fridge for several weeks. Good+. About $20 for a three-liter box, which translates to four bottles.

Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York. A sample for review.